Harry davidson



(No Model.)

H. DAVIDSON. CONSTRUCTION OF GHEGKERS.'

No. 477,248. Patented June 21, 1892 WITNESSES: Ill/VE/l/TOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY DAVIDSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONSTRUCTION OF CHECKERS.

:SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 477,248, dated June 21, 1892.

Application filed October 1891.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, HARRY DAVIDSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Construction of Checkers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the game of checkers and has special reference to the construction of the men or figures, whereby the same may be transformed from their normal condition into a king by a simple operation.

In the game of checkers when a man reaches the king-row it is customary to transform him into a king by crowning him with another man,thus making him double his normal size and therefore distinguishable from the ordinary men. This method of crowning is trouble some,because the man is sometimes jarred off and at other times there are no second men to crown the king with. By my invention any of the men may be transformed into a king without the aid of the others, and when so transformed has substantially the same appearance as the ordinary king produced by doubling. It also maintains its stability and is not subject to derangement or transformation by accident.

Broadly stated, my invention consists of two parts-a body and a shell-one inclosed within the other, and so constructed that one may be slid or telescoped upon the other and may be held either in an inner or outer position. When in its inner or closed position, the checker has substantially the appearance of an ordinary checker, and when in its outer or open position it has the appearance of the king.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the checker-man closed Fig. 2, a similar view of the checker-man open; Fig. 3, a vertical section of the shell, showing the body raised and in elevation. Fig. 4: is a vertical section of the shell. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the body; and Fig. 6 is a plan of the checker, showing the shell in section.

Referring to the drawings by letter, a represents the body of the checker-man. It is shaped exactly like an ordinary man, except that it is slightly less in diameter and is provided around one end with an annular flange Serial No. 408,760. (No model.)

(1', having two notches a located diametrically opposite each other. This part is made of wood or any of the materials usually employed for the men.

17 represents a cylindrical shell having inwardly-turned flanges b b respectively, at each end and having two inwardly-projecting vertical projections or feathers b located diametrically at opposite points and formed, preferably, by forcing the material of which the shell is made inward. These projections do not run the full length of the'shell, but terminate at short distances from the flanges 1) b The two parts a b are placed together, so that the shell incloses the body. inclosed, the flange a of the body occupies the full interior diameter of the shell, whereas the vertical sides of the body a are just inside of the edge of the flange b or 12 The notches a in the flange a are of the size to fit or saddle the inward projections of the shell, so that when the two parts are rotated with respect to each other until the notches are in the same vertical lines with the projections 19 the body may be lifted vertically until the top of the flange a strikes the under side of the upper flange b or W. Then by slightly rotating the parts upon each other the notches a are turned out of alignment with projections b and the flange, resting upon the upper ends of the projections b supports the body a in an elevated position, thus making the man nearly twice its normal size and giving to it the appearance of a king. To retransform a king to an ordinary man, the operation obviously is to turn the parts until the .notches and projections register, then to close'the parts or force the body into the shell, and finally twist the parts until the notches and projections are out of alignment,

so as to lock the body in its inner or closed position. It may be unnecessaryto lock the body a in its closed or inner position, in which case the projections 22 may extend to the lower flange. I prefer, however, to construct them as illustrated. The body a is to have the usual ornamental formations on both faces, so that the men while not kings may be used with either face upward. The material of which the shells are made may be japanned t-in, brass, celluloid, or any other material.

WVhen thus 3. The combination, with a shell b, provided with :two flanges l)" b and with the projections b of the body a,provided with the flange (1, having notches a adapted to register with the said projections b for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY DAVIDSON.

Witnesses:

FRANK S. OBER, WM. A. ROSENBAUM. 

